On politics in the Golden State

Scholarships held up by Kinde Durkee investigation

Politicians are not the only people who may suffer because of actions by accountant Kinde Durkee, who faces federal charges of siphoning off campaign funds from several candidates.

The investigation into Durkee has also hurt 51 college students who are seeing scholarships held up because a trust fund she handled has been frozen.

There is no evidence that Durkee took any money from the fund administered by the Legislative Black Caucus Policy Institute, but the freeze has blocked $51,000 in scholarships issued to minority students by the institute, for which Durkee handled the books, according to state Sen. Curren Price Jr. (D-Los Angeles), chairman of the caucus.

"The banks have frozen all accounts, including ours, as a result of the federal investigation into the Kinde Durkee case," Price said. The senator said he is trying to raise new money to cover the scholarships promised by his group.

"This is shameful situation that is impacting these students, many of whom will have great difficulty paying their college costs without these scholarships," Price said.